Stanford has won 271 overall Olympic medals. Leading the way are Jenny Thompson (12 career medals), John Hencken (6), Katie Ledecky (6), Janet Evans (5), and Pablo Morales (5). The Cardinal has produced at least one medalist in every Olympics in which the U.S. has competed since 1912, including a school-record 27 medals in 2016.

Stanford varsity teams have won 142 national championships, including 117 NCAA titles.

At least one Stanford team has won a national championship in each of the last 42 years, representing the nation's longest active streak.

In 2017-2018, Stanford completed an unprecedented sweep of the Capital One Cup, becoming the first school to capture both the men’s and women’s Capital One Cup titles in the same season. The Cardinal is a two-time winner on the men’s side and a five-time champion of the women’s program.

In 2012, Heisman Trophy finalist Andrew Luck was the NFL first draft pick for the Indianapolis Colts. Stanford's Chiney Ogwumike was selected as the first overall pick of the 2014 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun, and Andi Sullivan was picked first overall in the 2018 NWSL Draft by the Washington Spirit.

The Departments of Athletics and Physical Education and Recreation offer programs providing all students opportunities for athletic participation and physical fitness at varying levels of skill and interest. The majority of Stanford students take advantage of the extensive athletic facilities and programs offered at the intercollegiate, club sport, intramural and instructional levels.

Distinctly Stanford

Palo Alto is a glorious college sports town, and Stanford maintains 1 million gross feet of indoor facilities and 94 acres of outdoor fields, including the: